Long before Hurricane Sandy arrived, hardware stores throughout the Eastern Seaboard found themselves swamped with customers trying to stock up on everything from batteries to rubber gloves. But now that the worst is over -- and property damage estimates are in the $50 billion range -- the effect on the home improvement industry is coming into focus.

Construction employment rose by 8,000 jobs in July, hitting a 15-month high, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). But the Arlington, Va., trade group issued a “grim outlook” for public sector construction activity, which it said will “act as a drag on expanding private sector construction.” AGC officials want Congress to pass long-term funding for public projects.

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The Top 300 Industry Scoreboard tracks home improvement retailers from Home Depot (No. 1 on the list) to Harvey Lumber (No. 300). Register to download the full list, sponsored by the National Hardware Show.